Broadcaster Jack Linkletter, Son Of Art, Dies At 70

December 20, 2007|By Dennis McLellan Los Angeles Times

Jack Linkletter - who followed in his broadcasting icon father Art's footsteps in the 1950s and became the host of TV shows such as "Hootenanny" and special events such as the Miss Universe pageant - has died. He was 70.

Mr. Linkletter, president of Linkletter Enterprises, died of lymphoma Tuesday at his home in Cloverdale, Calif., his father told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

As the son of the man who hosted the long-running "People Are Funny" and "House Party" on radio and television, Mr. Linkletter made a smooth transition into broadcasting at an early age.

At 15, he began doing an interview show for CBS Radio, which was soon followed by an hourlong program featuring records and stunts called "Teen Time."

Blessed with what has been called "a made-for-the-microphone baritone" and a genial personality, Mr. Linkletter was an English major at the University of Southern California in 1958, when he began hosting the NBC-TV prime-time summer-replacement quiz show "Haggis Baggis."

A year later, he was hosting "On the Go," a daytime human-interest show in which he and a videotape crew visited various locales for behind-the-scenes stories.

Mr. Linkletter went on to host a total of seven TV shows, including "Here's Hollywood," "America Alive!" and "Hootenanny," the 1963 to 1964 ABC folk-music show that was taped before a live audience at a different college campus each week.

Along the way, he hosted the Miss Universe pageant, World Fair events and major parades.

"The reason I get these jobs is because my price is less than my dad's," he once joked.

The oldest of Art and Lois Linkletter's five children, he was born Arthur Jack Linkletter in San Francisco on Nov. 20, 1937. After earning a USC degree, Jack Linkletter took graduate courses in business at the University of California, Los Angeles.

In the early 1960s, while continuing his show career, he took over management of some of his father's business affairs.

In recent decades, he was president of Linkletter Enterprises, developer and operator of commercial and industrial real estate and manager of diversified family investments.

He also operated the Link Fund, a private fund investing in equity and debt instruments.

Mr. Linkletter was international president and international education chairman of the Young President's Organization, national director of the 4-H Clubs, founding member of the board of governors of the Livestock Merchandising Institute, a presidential appointee to the National Council of the USO and governor of Phi Beta Kappa.

Mr. Linkletter's first marriage ended in divorce.

He is survived by his second wife of 14 years, Charlene; his three children, Mike, Dennis and Laura Ann Rich; his parents; his sisters, Sharon Hershey and Dawn Griffin; and 11 grandchildren.